"And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."
Acts 5:41
The English word “disgrace” is an interesting one. Originally the word meant “the condition of one fallen from grace: the condition of one who has lost honor.”1 So the person who has been disgraced is feeling shame and has lost the respect of those who know them. They are now unworthy of the approval of their peers. And so it was supposed to be for anyone who was disciplined by the Council in Jerusalem. To be publicly censured by the Council was to suffer disgrace. But let’s rewind the story by twenty-four hours…,
Peter and John had been preaching and healing the sick on Solomon’s porch in the Temple. When the High Priest and the Sadducees heard what was being said they had Peter and John arrested and put into the “common prison.” But that night the angel of the Lord came and opened the prison doors and let them escape. The angel gave specific instructions that they were to go back to the Temple and keep on preaching Jesus.
Now in the morning when the guards went get them and to take them to the High Priest–they were unexplainably gone! In the meanwhile, Peter and John were back at the Temple preaching Jesus. When the leaders finally realized that Peter and the apostles were close by preaching Jesus they sent the guards to arrest them. As they stood before the Council they were asked many questions. It was evident that the Council didn’t want them preaching in Jesus’ name. But the men answered them and said, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” (v. 29). After the Council’s private meeting they sternly warned Peter and John not to preach in Jesus’ name and then sent them away. This is where our verse of the day comes in. Instead of the customary shame that most would feel, Peter and John rejoiced that God counted them worthy to suffer shame for His name. To these servants of Christ there was no shame in suffering, but rather a great honor! They were thankful for the privilege of this experience! To them, suffering personal disgrace, for Jesus’ sake, was a badge of honor!
How could this ill treatment of these disciples be an honor to them?
Jesus told them that following Him would be like this (Matthew 10:17, 22). This showed them that what Jesus had predicted was accurate.
These men were being persecuted for good, not evil (1 Peter 2:12; 4:14-16). There is no honor in being persecuted for being cantankerous or having a bad attitude. But these men did right and were persecuted for it!
The world had proof of the disciples’ friendship with Jesus. No one could question the disciples love and devotion for Jesus Christ–they had suffered for Him!
They were given the privilege to suffer in like manner as Jesus did (Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter 4:15). Jesus suffered for them (and us) and, in turn, they sacrificed for Him! What an honor!
It is always an honor to stand for Jesus Christ!
1. Disgrace: Mirriam-Webster, online dictionary. From: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disgrace. Downloaded: May 26, 2018.